This invention relates generally to electric outlets and receptacles and, more particularly, to a selectively retractable and extendable electrical wall outlet assembly that can be locked in a retracted configuration for safety.
Conventional wall outlets are often disadvantageous in that electrical plugs received therein sometimes prevent items such as furniture from being positioned as desired or are inadvertently disconnected or damaged by furniture. In addition, electrical plug receptacles are a well-known hazard for curious young children who may insert their fingers or metal objects (e.g. paperclips) therein.
Various devices have been disclosed for either covering wall outlet receptacles or for plugging the receptacles to prevent insertion of fingers or objects other than electrical plugs. A pop-up electrical receptacle with a hinged cover is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,046,405 to Oberman and a telescopic floor outlet assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,794,956 to Dubreuil. Although assumably effective for their expressed purposes, existing assemblies do not provide an electric wall outlet that is selectively retractable and extendable with consecutive depressions of a push-button plunger. Further, existing devices do not provide a simple mechanism for locking or unlocking an electrical outlet from a retracted configuration.
Therefore, it is desirable to have an electric wall outlet that is selectively retractable and extendable. Further, it is desirable to have a retractable electric wall outlet that may be locked in a retracted position so as to preclude access thereto by young children.
A retractable electric wall outlet assembly according to the present invention includes a housing having a back plate and side walls configured to be mountable to a wall structure of a dwelling or business. An electrical box having a front plate and side walls is dimensioned for retraction into or extension from the housing. The electrical box includes at least one electrical receptacle positioned along the side walls thereof for receiving electrical plugs therein. An open-ended cylindrical cam member is mounted atop a pair of legs extending forwardly from the back plate of the housing. The cam member includes a plurality of spaced apart rails extending longitudinally along an inner surface thereof, the rearward ends of each rail including an inclined configuration. The inner surface of the cam member alternately defines deep and shallow slots between adjacent rails, each shallow slot further defining a stop adjacent a rearward edge of the cam member.
A cylindrical plunger positioned for contact with the front plate of the electrical box extends into the interior space of the housing and is dimensioned to be received within the cam member. The plunger includes a plurality of teeth having inclined rearwardly disposed edges that act as guides between the rails when depressed into the cam member by a user. A ratchet is dimensioned for positioning within the cam member and includes a set of spaced apart teeth having inclined edges for engaging the teeth of the plunger. A compression spring is connected at one end to the back plate and at an opposed end to the ratchet for continuously urging the ratchet toward an extended or extensible configuration. A depression of the plunger by a user causes the inclined edges of respective plunger teeth to engage the inclined edges of the ratchet teeth positioned along respective deep slots of the cam member so as to urge the ratchet teeth along the inclined ends of the rails and into adjacent shallow slots where they are retained by the stops. A next consecutive depression of the plunger causes the inclined edges of respective plunger teeth to engage the inclined edges of the ratchet teeth now positioned in respective shallow slots so as to urge them along inclined edges of the rails and into adjacent deep slots. The spring bias of the ratchet causes the ratchet to urge the plunger and, consequently, the electrical box forward to an extended configuration wherein the front plate is displaced from the housing.
The cam member also defines a pair of opposed slots extending longitudinally along an outer surface thereof and defines a channel extending transversely partially around the outer surface adjacent a rearward edge thereof in communication with the longitudinal slots. A button member rotatably coupled to the front plate includes a pair of prongs having nubs at terminal ends thereof that are slidable along the longitudinal slots and along the channel when the button member is rotated such that the electrical box is locked in a retractable configuration when the nubs are positioned along the channel.
Therefore, a general object of this invention is to provide an electrical wall outlet assembly that is selectively retractable and extendable from a housing.
Another object of this invention is to provide an electrical wall outlet, as aforesaid, having multiple electrical receptacles configured to allow furniture to be positioned close to the outlet without interfering with electrical plugs inserted in the receptacles.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an electrical wall outlet, as aforesaid, in which the electrical receptacles are inaccessible when the electrical box is placed in a retracted configuration.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide an electrical wall outlet, as aforesaid, having a spring loaded retraction/extension mechanism for moving the electrical box between retracted and extended configurations with a push-button actuation.
A further object of this invention is to provide an electrical wall outlet, as aforesaid, in which the electrical box may be locked in the retracted configuration upon user rotation of the push-button member.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, embodiments of this invention.